New to snakes, new-ish to the board. I've got questions! :)

[kc261]

Welcome to the forum!

That's a lot of questions! That's great; it means that you are really thinking this through carefully and doing your research *before* you bring your new pet home, and that's the best kind of pet owner.

You seem to be getting a good idea of what you need to know. It does seem that your sources may not have been the best, or perhaps are out of date.

I found a listing on Craigslist for a yearling female ball python,(he said that he has to move soon, so he's got to get rid of all of his reptiles.) and while I don't have the money RIGHT now, the guy told me he would hold on to it until I get my money from my income taxes. (it should be the beginning of next month.)

Be careful of buying a snake (or any animal) on Craigslist. Especially since you are not very familiar with snakes, it will be hard to know if you are getting a good deal, or just inheriting a bunch of headaches if the snake has not been properly cared for. It might have internal parasites or other things that aren't immediately obvious. I'd recommend going to a good breeder for your first snake.

From what i've read and learned, a ball should be kept at 85 - 90 on the warm side, and around 75 on the cool side, correct?

75 is definitely too cold. Most people recommend temps of at or a bit above 80 for the cool side, and at or a bit above 90 for the warm side.

I know that they need 2 hides (one on the warm, and one on the cool side) as well as a water dish placed in the middle. (large enough for the snake to soak in if it wants to.)

Get 2 hides that are the same and will fit the snake snugly. The water dish does not necessarily have to be in the middle. Some people move it to the warm side to increase humidity. Also most BPs don't choose to soak unless they have mites, so I think most people don't consider a large water a necessity for BPs, but again it can help increase humidity.

I haven't really seen anything in cement about the humidity requirements, but i'm guessing from 50 - 60% and when in shed bump it up to 70 ish? is that correct, or does it need to stay at 60%?

This, along with the temps being a bit off, is what made me say your sources may not be the best. Any good caresheet about BPs would definitely mention humidity. However, the numbers you guessed here are good.

I'm planning on getting a thermometer/hygrometer (digital), as well as a UTH/thermostat.

Digital thermometer/hygrometer and a t-stat are musts!

I have a 29 gallon tank right now that's not being used,(but was used for fish in the past. And it was a saltwater tank - does that matter if I clean it or not?) and I was planning on using a bleach/water (1 part bleach to 5 parts water) solution to clean it. Would that work? And would that be appropriate for a yearling, or should I start out with a 10 gallon, and work my way up so she doesn't get overly stressed?

A 29 gallon tank is a "tall" style and that isn't best for BPs, who don't do much climbing. The height can also make it harder to maintain temps and humidity. However, the floor space of the tank is probably reasonable for a yearling BP. You might want to consider a tub, which makes it much easier to maintain temps and humidity. If you do decide to use the 29 gallon tank, the fact that it was used for saltwater in the past should not matter if you clean it thoroughly. Bleach is fine if you rinse it thoroughly.

Other than that, I wanted to use aspen or paper towels as substrate. I'm pretty sure that would be sufficent enough. But what i'm curious about it is it extremely necessary to have reptile carpet, or is it better used as a precaution. I don't mind getting it, but if I don't need it it's money saved.

Aspen and paper towels are both fine. Newspaper is also very popular. Reptile carpet is not necessary, and a lot of people recommend against it because it is not easy to clean and if not thoroughly cleaned it can be a breeding ground for bacteria.

I'm also planning on using a screen for the aquarium. I know that i'll need cage clips - is there anything else I should think about getting before I actually get the snake other than the things that i've mentioned? I feel like i'll have enough to get by for the time being.

I'm not familiar with the screen/clips set ups, as I've used the kind of tanks with the sliding screens. You will need to do something to the screen to prevent the heat and humidity from getting out. A popular method is to use layers of foil held down by duct tape. I have a sheet of styrofoam like stuff on top of mine. You'll need to close most of it off and leave some open for air flow.

Other things to think about... you haven't mentioned feeding at all. Do you have a plan for live or f/t? Do you have a source for food? Also it would be a good idea to research reptile vets in your area ahead of time, so you know where to go if/when you need to. That's all that immediately comes to mind.

Also, i've planned on this for when I get her - when she comes home, i'm going to leave her alone for 3 - 5 days and then feed her. After I feed her I will not handle her (as hard as it may be!) for about 2 or 3 weeks after that (with regular feeding, changing of the water, and maintainence between that.) and then begin handling 2 - 4 times a week. (without handling for 48 hours after feeding.)

That's reasonable. For your first few feedings, offer the same thing it was used to, even if you plan to offer a different food (rats vs mice) or a different method (live vs f/t).

So, I think that's all my knowledge right now. Is there anything else I should know/be prepared for? Anything that I got wrong? Thank you all for your help!

One important thing not mentioned is to get your cage set up ahead of time and make sure you have the temps and humidity stabilized before you bring your snake home.

Other than that, use the time you have before you get your snake to learn more. Read the BP caresheet, and all the stickies and FAQs on this site. Then just read the postings (especially in the General BP and BP husbandry sections). You'll learn a lot.